


Conclusions

by scribblemoose



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-25
Updated: 2010-01-25
Packaged: 2017-10-08 22:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblemoose/pseuds/scribblemoose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur's on the warpath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conclusions

The grass was very green, and the sky was very blue, and Merlin was lying on his favourite branch of his favourite tree, where no-one could find him. He drifted, magic seeping from his skin into the bark of the wood, into the very earth of the forest floor. He reached out a hand and spread a glittering rainbow of colours in the air-

\- and then, suddenly, a giant, pillowy-monster fell out of the sky and landed squarely on his face.

"Merlin!"

Merlin spat out a mouthful of cushion-tassel, and shoved the thing away.

Arthur's face loomed, glaring at him.

Merlin wondered if he could just pull the cushion back.

"You were _asleep_!"

Merlin blinked. "That would explain the rainbow," he said. Because, seriously, Merlin loved to be artistic with his magic, but glittery rainbows were downright girly. And anyway, how to get the colours in exactly the right sequence when-

"Merlin!"

"Right, yeah," said Merlin, dazed. "I must have...."

He looked around, noticing the large, familiar bed with its polished wooden posts, soft mattress, rumpled sheets and blankets. Arthur's bed.

Merlin absentmindedly wiped a strand of drool from the corner of his mouth and said, "Oh."

"_Oh_," said Arthur, dangerously.

"I must have fallen asleep," Merlin said. "I remember sitting down to put the pillow case on, and... I, um...."

"What were you doing? Testing it?"

"Hm. What time is it?"

"Time you learned to do your bloody job, Merlin! Seriously, you're absolutely the worst-"

Merlin tuned Arthur out and slowly gathered his wits. He'd taken Arthur's breakfast things downstairs and come back to collect the laundry and change the bed, which had all gone very well, except for the fact that Merlin was very very tired, so he'd been sitting down to do the pillows, and the bed had been very comfortable, he remembered noticing that in particular. It was _possible_ that he'd just curled up for a minute to rest his eyes.

"It's noon," said Arthur, his fury unabated.

"I'm sorry," said Merlin, automatically. He looked about for the laundry basket. "I'll catch up, sorry."

"Oh, will you? What if I need my armour _now_?"

"You can have it now. It's over there. I did it last night."

Arthur glanced over his shoulder and spotted the gleaming pile of armour laid out on the big chest by the window. "Oh."

"Shall I help you put it on? Or do you want some lunch first?" Merlin yawned, and stretched.

"Don't you go trying to change the subject."

Merlin's thought processes were clicking back into place now. He took a careful look at Arthur's expression and said, "What's this really about, Arthur?"

Arthur gave Merlin his best incredulous look, but Merlin could tell his heart wasn't in it, not really. "You never seem to understand this part," Arthur said. "You're my servant. You're supposed to do as I ask. Straight away. You are _not_ supposed to sleep on the job and especially not on my bed!"

Merlin couldn't stop the smirk that appeared on his face. "Perhaps you should have thought of that before you kept me up all night," he said, and added, devilishly, "in your bed."

Arthur blushed scarlet - either from embarrassment or anger, Merlin couldn't be sure which - and span away, putting his back to Merlin and marching across the room to his favourite spot by the window. He planted his palms firmly on the window sill and stared out at Camelot, a muscle in his jaw twitching in irritation.

"Oh," said Merlin in a small voice. He hunched in on himself a bit, hands disappearing inside his too-long sleeves; head drooping. This was one of the things he'd feared: that everything would be weird afterwards, that Arthur would think badly of him for being so willing, for dropping his trousers without a second thought and letting Arthur... yes, well.

Merlin suddenly understood a lot of the talks his mother had given him about girls, and how a man should be careful about not taking advantage. Only Merlin had always known he'd never do that, so he hadn't paid much attention. It had never occurred to him that anyone might try and take advantage of _him_.

He was surprised, actually, how much he minded.

Merlin turned back to the bed, and started to smooth out the pillows.

"I'm sorry, Merlin."

Merlin looked up sharply. Arthur still stared out at the view.

"There's no need," said Merlin.

"I've never done anything like this before."

"But last night, you said-"

"No, obviously I've done _that_ before." Arthur's cheek twitched again. "I haven't done it with anyone like you before."

"I'm not sure there is anyone quite like me," said Merlin, with rash honesty.

Arthur laughed, and some of the tension eased from his shoulders. "Well, there's no denying that, Merlin."

"It doesn't have to be awkward," Merlin said. "We can forget it ever happened. That's okay." He had to force himself to keep his eyes on Arthur; the urge to look back down at his hands and the bed linen and the pillow was excruciatingly strong, especially when Arthur turned from the window and looked right at him, blue eyes keen enough to pierce steel. Merlin might have mastered some lies over the past few months, but it seemed this wasn't going to be one of them.

"It's not that," Arthur said. "Did you really think...?"

Merlin shrugged. "Maybe. A bit. Possibly."

"I'm not ashamed," said Arthur, very firmly. "Don't ever think that, okay? I'm glad we did... what we did."

Arthur exuded truth and nobility from every pore; it was impossible to distrust him. So Merlin nodded, biting at his lower lip to keep the relief from showing in a smile.

"But we have to keep this secret, Merlin. Surely you understand that?"

Merlin frowned. "You mean, you're not allowed to, um, with other men?" Trust Camelot to make yet another of Merlin's pleasures illegal. Granted, it had been frowned upon somewhat even in Ealdor, but Merlin had seen the way some of the Knights looked at Arthur and it certainly wasn't secretive.

"With my servant," Arthur said. "At least, not like this. A quick tumble behind the stables would be one thing, but..." Arthur gestured inarticulately with one hand in the vague direction of the bed.

"But what?" Merlin was genuinely confused now: he was used to servants being treated like untrustworthy nobodies, but he'd spent enough time in the kitchens talking with the others to know that what he and Arthur had done wasn't unheard of and definitely not unspoken about.

"It's a matter of reputation," Arthur said, helplessly. "If people were to think you and I were any more than, I mean, if they assumed we were doing more than, that is, more often than..."

"If they thought we were lovers?" Merlin ventured.

Arthur coughed. "That sort of thing, yes."

Merlin looked at him with great solemnity. "Arthur. I promise I'll never bring you flowers or write you poetry."

Arthur frowned at him. "There's already rumours spreading."

"Rumours? But nobody knows! I haven't even _seen_ anybody today!"

"No. But someone saw you. Asleep. On my bed."

Suddenly things clicked together in Merlin's mind like a spell taking life. Oh. _Oh._

"Who?"

"One of the chambermaids. One of the chambermaids who also lays the fire in Morgana's chambers."

"Oops," said Merlin.

"Yes," said Arthur, eyes narrowing. "Oops."

"And Morgana...."

"Yes, Merlin. Morgana."

"She said-"

"She said a great many things, none of which were justified, and none of which I'll forget in a hurry."

"But, to be fair, it's not as if I was sleeping on your bed for _those_ reasons. And it's not exactly the first time."

"What?"

"And I had all my clothes on," Merlin pointed out. "It was quite innocent, really."

"That's not the point."

"No, except, I'm a bit surprised that Morgana would automatically jump to conclusions based on a bit of gossip from a chambermaid."

Merlin watched Arthur's brain work. He could have drawn a diagram, complete with elaborate lines and arrows and exclamation marks, to illustrate the process through which Arthur realised what had happened.

"So," Merlin said, as Arthur began to cringe as his moment of self-realisation drew him to its natural conclusion. "Morgana told you that her chambermaid told Gwen she'd found me asleep on your bed, and you said what, exactly?"

Arthur shook his head, wretched.

"Let me guess," said Merlin. "You got all hot under the hauberk and told her the maid was out of line and you'd have her head on the block for treason?"

"Of course not! I'd do no such thing!"

Merlin met Arthur's gaze, and held it.

Arthur swallowed. Hard.

"I might have said it was none of her business if I was... whatever I chose to do with you," Arthur said.

Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"She might have thought that was a bit odd, I suppose," said Arthur.

"Well, yes. I would guess she was more expecting you to rant about what a lazy arse I am - which, by the way, I'm not - so she could defend me, because she's nice like that."

"She's far too soft on her servants," Arthur said.

Merlin burst out laughing.

"She probably wouldn't be," Arthur added, "if she had to put up with you."

"That could be arranged. Nothing about your armour Gwen couldn't handle, after all. Shall I ask for a swap?"

Arthur was glaring at him, but there was nothing in it but Arthur's usual gruff affection. Merlin grinned shamelessly at him.

"I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions," Arthur said.

"I understand it has to be secret," Merlin replied, taking a half-step forwards. "Trust me. I'm good with secrets."

"Maybe that's what I'm afraid of," Arthur said, almost under his breath.

Merlin took another step, and kissed him. Just a peck, really, intended to distract more than anything because he couldn't be sure what was showing in his eyes just then and as dense as Arthur could be sometimes, he did have flashes of insight and one never knew when his brain would recognise one, and Merlin would be completely lost.

But Arthur was apparently as hungry for Merlin as Merlin was for Arthur, and he kissed Merlin back so hard that Merlin had to put his arms around Arthur's waist just to hold on. Arthur's mouth was warm and wet and pliant and firm, and his tongue was very, very insistent, and Merlin's mind hazed over fast. He flicked a gesture at the door when Arthur paused for breath, and stumbled back towards the bed, dragging Arthur with him.

The door slammed firmly and very loudly shut.

Arthur looked up in surprise.

"Must be the wind," said Merlin, tangling his fingers in Arthur's hair. "Handy."

"Yes," Arthur murmured, smiling into Merlin's neck. "Very."

_~fin~_   



End file.
